There are two Level One entries listed on the official players list
iām #79 on the waitlist. three questions:
1 - is there a realistic chance they will reach down that far?
2 - if so, am i contacted by email and then given time to respond?
3 - does showing up on thursday offer any chance to fill a no-show slot?
Yes
Yes
Yes but only if youāre currently on the waitlist.
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While obviously I cannot guarantee anything, it is very likely based on prior history that you will have a chance at a spot.
I was around the same number the day of the tourney and got in 2 years ago. Your position on the waitlist is almost certain to drop as we get closer to the event.
If itās any help, I was about ~240 or so on the waitlist as of the first day of Pinburgh, and I JUST missed out on getting in. The last name called off the waitlist for registration was about 10 names above mine. So I would say you are in a good spot to get in the day-of, if not before.
I believe Dethlehem is returning and closing out Saturday night. We had more interest from bands this year than we can handle and are going to be considering multiple options in future years as that part of the show expands.
Also, in case anyone is interested, the Drury Hotel block still has rooms available from Wed - Sun if you select Mobility Accessible or Hearing Accessible in the āWhat Kind of Roomā section. Those only show up in the available results if those boxes are checked.
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No one can say for sure, but #79 has gotten a call from the waitlist every year so far. The first three names will be receiving an e-mail here in a few minutes. Last year, we went through 243 names on the waitlist and left 227 on it. At the event, there were ~two dozen people who showed up and got in and about the same amount who showed up and did not. There are currently 455 names on the waitlist, and thatās usually right around when I turn it off and we stop accepting names.
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Thanks for the bump on this - by using the Room Block link on the replayfx page I was able to search for these rooms without explicitly ticking the accessibility options. No matter though, Wed - Sat is now booked at a great rate and my ankles will be happier not having to walk to the Omni. My liver will be sadder thoughā¦
I heard a rumor about what that dollar a person is used forā¦ 
And vacation timeā¦
Seriously though. In reading the threads. I have one thought. Concerts sell out all the time in under an hour. Should these venues offer a second night to accommodate everyone who wants to see a particular band, despite a rigorous touring schedule? Should concert venues do a lottery to determine the lucky 20,000 people who should go to a concert when 35,000 people want to go? How is the largest pinball tournament in the world any different from these kind of events? Itās an AWESOME tournament and I think the Replayfx group does a phenomenal job in trying to accommodate all the people who want to play by working to increase it year over year.
And to those pushing to allow more people. Would you be willing to volunteer as a TD or tech or some other volunteer position to help grow the tournament? This tournament runs with limited amount of people who put in insane hours during the three days of the tournament, and the days leading up to it and after it ends.
There is unfortunately no way to please everyone. Iād love to play, but hey! Someone has to help run the event. So, I watch everyone come in and play and enjoy the vibe that the event has.
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Iāve said this in other forumsā¦ but the year I donāt get in, Iāll be offering to volunteer in whatever capacity they need. Pinburgh is as much a social event for me as a competition, I enjoy being there even if Iām not competing. Iād rather be competing though. 
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So I just popped onto replayfx.com to check out the player list, and was surprised to find that there are 837 players on the current player list. Out of 800 slots. Has the field already been expanded?
There are 840 slots and 5 divisions this year.
Ummm. Derp. I knew that, thanks for the reminder. I think I got temporarily confused because the āGeneral Infoā tab on that page https://replayfx.org/competitions/pinburgh/#1515461122745-86a85c7c-680b still says 800 players.
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I donāt think there is any problem with the current system. But I also think expansion should be easier than PAPA makes it seem. With increased demand for tickets I would assume there is also increased interest from volunteers. And if there are still not enough volunteers Iād be willing to provide additional compensation, especially for the more skilled positions like techs and TDs. How do we pay for these extra people? Raise the entry price. Even if you just increase it by $10 an entry thatās an extra $8,400. That would pay for hotels for a bunch of techs and TDs which I think would entice more volunteers.
I think an increase to 1,000 would be a good goal for 2019.
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We already pay for hotels for all of our techs and TDs who want one and they are also hourly paid positions.
Iām not saying its impossible, but it is more difficult than sayā¦ running any pinball tournament that exists in the world today. 
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If you are having problems getting technicians for the event I would suggest doing the following.
Pay for Flight - (Reimburse up to $600 for those that need it - restrict to economy class)
Pay for Hotel Accommodations (for those that need it)
Pay a daily meal rate - $50 (give the current hourly rate for locals that donāt take advantage of the top 2)
Have technicians send in their credentials and apply for xxx technition positions needed for the show.
If this ends up costing a little more then the current situation, increase tournament fees to compensate.
I would say I could get two - five techs at the event next year if these kinds of rewards were in place and pretty sure you could get more in the US if this kind of package was put together.
Donāt forget about the extra games that are needed.
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This is the best news I have read all week, possibly all month.